The removal of snow is an arduous and common task in many regions of the world that experience cold winter weather. In locations where snow falls often, say with depths of 1 to 6 inches for each snow fall, there is a constant need to be shoveling and pushing snow off of walk ways, driveways, etc. In addition, there are often situations wherein a collected volume of snow must be lifted and tossed a short distance, say 3 to 10 feet, for example.
The prior art provides a large number of varied types of manually operated snow shovels. Significant differences can be found essentially in the shape and structure of several important components. For example, the handle portions employed may range from simple linear wooded poles or rods, to more complicated curved structures incorporating hand grip means and constructed of light weight metals or advanced materials. Further, the design, shape, and capacities of blade portions, employed for collecting, pushing, and or lifting snow, may also vary considerably. For example, simple and well known embodiments of snow shovels may provide an essentially flattened (planar) blade portion, possibly with several curved perimeter portions. This first construction enables a user to push and collect a fairly large volume of the snow, and subsequently lift the snow for tossing purposes. Another commonly available blade portion is termed ‘scoop’ or ‘plow’ shaped. This latter blade arrangement, which can be used to lift lesser amounts of snow, is most often employed to push the snow aside (possible without any lifting activity). There also exists in the prior art a variety of more complicated snow shoveling devices. For example, there are handle constructions that are taught including structures to aid in ‘shock absorption’, which may be helpful when the ground contacting edge of a blade portion catches on something while being pushed by a user. Yet others are known in the art.
Importantly, the prior art is silent on teachings related to an improved ‘middle portion’ for coupling the handle to a blade portion for aiding in the tossing of snow. Desired arrangements and structures may include, for example, a flex enabling means for supporting a limited and controlled flexing, by way of a lever action. For example, the lever action may be established between the blade portion of a snow shovel and a user held handle portion, with a controlled flexing supported when a user lifts a volume of collected snow upon the blade portion.
A number of other additional characteristics, advantages, and or associated novel features of the present invention, will become clear from the description and figures provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. In particular, the exemplary embodiments included and described, have been chosen in order to best explain the principles, features, and characteristics of the invention, and its practical application, to thereby enable skilled persons to best utilize the invention and a wide variety of embodiments providable that are based on these principles, features, and characteristics. Accordingly, all equivalent variations possible are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.